The Perfect Bust of James K. Polk — This story is set amid the California gold fields after all the gold is gone and the only people left are the mad and the naïve. A fresh-faced fortune seeker shows up looking for gold, but finds a cracked old warhorse obsessed with the perfect bust of James K. Polk. This story was previously published in the 2010 Further Confusion con book.
Anti Septic and the Case of the Salty Cake — A saddening saga of salty cake and childhood hypochondria.
Harold Holted — An innocent Australian Summer with an innocent Australian zombie. Some boys find out what really happened to missing Prime Minister Harold Holt. This story was previously published in the 2009 Further Confusion con book.
The Land of Little Cats — A tale from the beleaguered clerk of the Incontinental Hotel, Sydney's finest venue for murder, magic and parallel dimensions. The Mustard Mice and the Custard Mice, at war for centuries, appear to put aside their differences to build the world's biggest laser.
Son of a Preacher Man — I wrote this story for the Hostile Takeover Contest being run by Sandra, the artist who draws Friendly Hostility. I don't need to tell you it's a masterpiece, and I also don't need to tell you it didn't win. But don't take my word for it! Read for yourself. All characters are copyright K. Fuhr, and you should go read her comic now.
Time Ends in 2012 — A physics research institute has to deal with the fact that their funding is about to dry up. Oh, and time will end.
Confessions of a Jam-Eater — Leopold gets drafted into the 168th Company, an insurance firm that is very unfond of Leopold's jam.
Voices from the Edge — A journalist visits the idyllic but unsettling town of Litorville and watches the local elections.
The Life-Giving Waters of the Nazi Handkerchief (PDF) — It all begins with a banker in a shady bank and his customer from hell. It ends thousands of years earlier, but not before Mother Teresa crushes all civilisation, Al Gore saves the world from certain doom, and everybody dances the Macarena. A chilling tale of immortality, assassins, and soggy hankies. Not for the faint of mind.
Jimmy and the Magical Pants Lord (PDF) — Everyone thought it would be simple for a vegetarian vampire to kidnap small children and meld them into one giant superbeing. No such luck. Jimmy - the hideous, blind creation of Barbara McSuckblood - is on the loose and heading for the Trouser people of the planet Pants. Barbara is in pursuit, but is being held back by socialite Madame van Scarf whose cucumbers have fused to her eyes. Finally Jimmy's collective parents (including but not limited to a porn star and a talking tea-pot) are following Jimmy's trail.
Corewar under Linux — A short guide to installing the pMARS Corewar environment under Linux. The software hasn't been touched for years, and I spent ages trying to get the damn thing going before figuring it out. I hope people will get some benefit from this.
Phono-mo-fiddle! — My very own guide to the phonofiddle, one of the greatest musical instruments ever devised. Pictures, restoration, tutors, the works!